So I'm learning more and more that individual stores are somewhat of a new thing here. They seem to be afterthoughts thrown up in the wake of globalization to appease westerners who have no idea what to do without a Piggly Wiggly. Sure, there are supermarkets and department stores, but real Bangladeshis don't bother with such drivel. They go straight to the bazaar.
The bazaar is the original Super Wal-Mart. Entering one of these behemoths invites so many colors, smells, and sounds that all mix together and make you feel like you took one too many painkillers. Yet, you are drawn in by the sheer size and variety of things people are selling. Things you didn't even know you needed are there- ripe for the picking. There are people selling fruit next to guys chopping chickens next to some handmade shawls next to someone selling $9 jars of Nutella. (Which, by the way, is worth every penny.) I'm also pretty sure you could get your oil changed and tires rotated out back.
Name anything on your list- anything at all- and it's here. Live goat? check. Every soccer jersey ever made? done. Bootlegged copy of Who's the Boss with commemorative tin lunchbox? no brainer. Needless to say, our stores pale in comparison. The problem is, you have to bargain for almost everything. I guess the upside is that there's no need for cutting coupons. Just bring your A game and be ready to walk away when the deal goes cold... That's what really hooks them- the pretend-to-walk-away-but-really-hope-they-call-you-back move. However, most of the time I just pay them whatever they want. Is it really worth it to spend five minutes of my life saving 14 cents on a tube of toothpaste?
I remember thinking of every little toiletry I might need and buying enough of it to last a decade- just in case. I'm fairly certain that was one of the most naive things I've done to date. These people have everything you could think of buying in the US, Europe, and Asia. Fifteen million people live in this city- and contrary to everything my nose tells me- they all have to shower at some point. (right?)
So basically, I've found the progenitor to Wal-Mart, Target, and the rest. Maybe they should take a page out of Dhaka's book and institute a bargaining system. Can you imagine haggling over a pair of Uggs or a bottle of shampoo?
Though it might be best to leave out the live goats, they'll just eat all the lunchboxes.
The bazaar is the original Super Wal-Mart. Entering one of these behemoths invites so many colors, smells, and sounds that all mix together and make you feel like you took one too many painkillers. Yet, you are drawn in by the sheer size and variety of things people are selling. Things you didn't even know you needed are there- ripe for the picking. There are people selling fruit next to guys chopping chickens next to some handmade shawls next to someone selling $9 jars of Nutella. (Which, by the way, is worth every penny.) I'm also pretty sure you could get your oil changed and tires rotated out back.
Name anything on your list- anything at all- and it's here. Live goat? check. Every soccer jersey ever made? done. Bootlegged copy of Who's the Boss with commemorative tin lunchbox? no brainer. Needless to say, our stores pale in comparison. The problem is, you have to bargain for almost everything. I guess the upside is that there's no need for cutting coupons. Just bring your A game and be ready to walk away when the deal goes cold... That's what really hooks them- the pretend-to-walk-away-but-really-hope-they-call-you-back move. However, most of the time I just pay them whatever they want. Is it really worth it to spend five minutes of my life saving 14 cents on a tube of toothpaste?
I remember thinking of every little toiletry I might need and buying enough of it to last a decade- just in case. I'm fairly certain that was one of the most naive things I've done to date. These people have everything you could think of buying in the US, Europe, and Asia. Fifteen million people live in this city- and contrary to everything my nose tells me- they all have to shower at some point. (right?)
So basically, I've found the progenitor to Wal-Mart, Target, and the rest. Maybe they should take a page out of Dhaka's book and institute a bargaining system. Can you imagine haggling over a pair of Uggs or a bottle of shampoo?
Though it might be best to leave out the live goats, they'll just eat all the lunchboxes.
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